Rifle Glossary

Smallbore- In smallbore, or three-position rifle, athletes fire .22 caliber smallbore rifle from the prone, standing and kneeling positions at targets 50 feet down range. The bullseye is one-third of a millimeter (slightly smaller than the size of a period at the end of this sentence).

Smallbore rifles- Athletes shoot free and/or standard rifles (weight limit of 17.6 pounds), that can be customized with special accessories and/or alterations that fit the shooter's size and preferences.

Air rifle competition- Competitors stand and shoot lead pellets from .177 caliber guns at targets 33 feet away. The bulls-eye, or 10-dot, is one-half millimeter.

Air rifles- They can be either air or gas-powered and weigh up to 12 pounds by international regulation. Uses a .177 caliber lead pellet propelled by compressed air or gas, instead of a gunpowder charge.

Course of fire- Athletes fire 40 rounds per position for a total of 120 shots. Time limits are 40 minutes for prone, 80 minutes for standing and 60 minutes for kneeling. In air rifle, competitors have 80 minutes for 40 shots.

Perfect match scores- For air rifle, a perfect match is 400 of 400 points while a perfect score in smallbore is 1200 of 1200 points.

Tie Breakers- If two or more individuals are tied at the end of a round, the person with more center shots will be declared the winner.

Cleaned: A perfect target, in which the shooter hits a 10 on each of the 10 targets on the sheet for a score of 100. Can also be used to refer to a perfect match.

Counter: Score counts toward overall team score.

Front sight: The sight attached to the front of the barrel of the rifle, holding the front aperture.

Half course: In smallbore, a half course consists of 60 shots, 20 in each position (prone, standing and kneeling). There is no half course in air rifle.

Center Shot: A 10.3 or better on electronic targets. It will apear on the screen with a star next to it. Mainly used to break ties.

Iron sights: Sights that employ no magnification.

Kneeling: Shooting from a kneeling position with the off hand (non-trigger side) supported by the off-knee.

Perfect match score: In air rifle and smallbore, 600 is perfect.

Prone: Shooting from a lying position.

Range Officer: The person in charge of timing the match and “running the line,” which includes assisting shooters who are having difficulties and enforcing rules governing match.

Shooting Glove: A padded glove or mitt, with or without fingers, used to ensure the comfort of the non-dominant hand (i.e., a right handed shooter wears a glove on the left hand) as the shooter supports the rifle.

Shooting Jacket: The jacket is made of leather or canvas and provides support and pads the shooter to minimize the effect of pulse and recoil. There are strict guidelines regarding the thickness.

Shooting Trousers: Snug canvas and/or leather pants usually worn over running tights or sweatpants. They often have the toes end of the sole and the heel cut flat for stability.